Loose leaf book



May ll, 1937. J. scHADE ET Al.

LOOSE LEAF BOOK Filed Nov. 2, 1931 INVENToR. J 0

HN .Sc/1A 1J E FRA NK ,5. 5c/HABE TTORNEYS.

Patented ,May ll, 1,937

UNI-TED STATES PATENT oEFiCE LOOSE LEAF BOOK chusetts Application November Z, 19/31, Serial No. 572,558

9 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in loose leaf books, particularly of the ring binder type. ,One object is to provide such a book with improved construction, relating particularly to the idea of locking the edges of the covers. We construct the book so as to use it as an ordinary loose sheet binder can be used and also as a brief case can be used.- For the double nature of its use, we have provided new and useful features of construction. These will all be explained in connection with the accompanying drawing and ,following description.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of parts cut away;

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the construction at the open book, with f one end of the book back where the cover edges,

end and the back begins: 4

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

vcovers on line t--i of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 1, the book is rings I at the back. The parts for supporting, manipulating the rings, and giving a neat appearance to the whole, are just the usual parts well known in ring binders. 'I'he covers 3 and 4 are attached to the back by hinges 2 in the usual way. Each cover, however, is of larger area than the ordinary loose sheet binder giving a back part of the same length. 'Ihe top and bottom edges of the covers 3 and l adjacent the back, as shown in Fig. 1, extend above and below the back in outwardly sweeping curves, as at a, b, c, and d. Where the covers Join the back, the end of curve a is spaced from the end of curve b at one end and likewise the curves c and d end in spaced relation.

In the preferred form of' book the covers 3 and 4 are of flexible leather, leather-likematerial, or of flexible material such as would be suitableJfor brief cases. A brief case pocket part 5, is sewn or attached to the inside face of each cover part. Each pa-rt 5 extends down close to the hinge line of its cover where it is fastened. We insert in each pocket a resilient and flexible -strip of material 6 (Fig. 3) of thin spring steel, for example. This extends along the bottom of each pocket and may be, fastened in-place by rivets I5 which pass only through the material of the pocket and strip and is thus fastened solely to the pocket without having the rivets appear on the outside of the book. The purpose of these strips 6 will be referred to later. The margin of each cover is scored for easy bendingl along a line 6 (Fig. 1) so that the area of the covers in substantial made up ofi back and side covers with the metal parts and f' excess of that necessary to cover the area of the i This fastener per se is so well known that no i particular description of its construction is necessary. When the book is open the slide 1 is 1ocated at the bottom of the binder back between 'the spaced curves c and d. -To lock the covers together the slide I is pulled all around the edges of the cover and as it goes, the metallic elements I of the fastener at the edges are all interlocked in the well known way. When slide 'I reaches the top of the back between curves a and b it is desirable for neatness of appearance and other reasons to make special provision for holding it in closed position.

As shown in Fig. 3, we provide a longitudinal recess I 2 in back of the book at one end, where the slide 'I is when the covers are completely locked. This recess l2 can be conveniently cut in the inside face of the finishing strip ill appearing along the outside of the book back. After the slide 1 has locked the covers 3 and d its grip piece II pivoted to slide 'I at I8 can be turned back to line up with therecess I2. A very small .finger piece or projection, for example, button I3, on the back side of grip II is provided so as to push piecefll into recess I2, preferably with the button I3 abutting the end of the back and extending up from the slide to about the plane at the back of the book. By slightly rounding the end edge of the back strip Ill the button I3 can be easily picked out to pull the slide grip II from the recess I2 for further movement to unlock the covers. With this construction the book can be closed and the covers locked with an extremely neat appearance and without any metal parts protruding to mar desk tops or catch on anything. 'I'he construction gives the book a perfectly smooth back part.'

When the book is closed it has every appearance of a brief case or paper sheet satchel, and the construction is particularly useful in brief case sizes, with brief case material like leather. With the exlble edges of the covers all closed down and the contents completely locked in the book there is no suggestion that one is carrying a loose sheet book. But the construction is more than a brief case or Satchel with a loose sheet binder inserted in it. 'Ihe covers, and the back serve the double purpose of being parts for the loose sheet binder in its regular use and for a brief case for its regular use. The pockets 5, made preferably of single ply material sewn on the inside face of the covers, open toward the outside edges of the covers. It has been customary to have pockets on loose sheet binder covers but as a rule they open toward the back so the contents will not spill out. The pockets in our construction are like brief case pockets. The closure all around the edges of the covers will enable one to carry sheets in the book without putting them on the' rings. That is, the sheets actually fastened on the rings may be used as mere division sheets, as flaps are frequently used in brief cases.

When the construction is open for use as a loose sheet binder it is desirable to have it usable like a book. For this reason the covers are so built into the back as described that they can lay out perfectly flat at each side of the back, to take the sheets of the binder as they are turned over just like a book, as indicated in Fig. 1.

In the use of our invention it will be clear that some times the books will not only be full of sheets fastened to the rings, but also full of material stuffed in the pockets as a brief case is stuffed. Then when the slide il locks the covers all around the edges, the contents stuffed tightbulges on the outside of the covers and a bad appearance inside the covers when opened.v In our construction we avoid these bulges by the spring metal strip located at the bottom of each pocket and we locate the bottom of the pocket where the rings contact. Thus, we use the pocket construction for two purposes, one for ordinary brief case purposes but with the bottom properly located to also take the inserted metal strips to protect against thering pressure. We are aware that such ring pressure has been guarded against by other constructions in the past. Our construction is a way that is new and useful, particularly related to other features in a combination of parts which serves several purposes.

While we have shown only two pockets in the illustrate-d embodiment, it is clear that the idea of the combined lLief case and ring binder or loose sheet book could b`e extended by building into the same character of construction additional pockets.

We claim:

1. In combination two covers each having flexible edge portions on three sides, and with rounded corners, metallic fastening means of the hookless type including an operating slide, to fasten and unfasten the flexible edge portions including their corners, a book back having loose leaf binding means thereon, said back lying alongadjacent parallel hinged sides of said two covers and inside the rounded corners of such sides, said back having a recess opening at one end to receive the operating slide when the edges of the cover are fastened together.

2. In combination two covers each having flexible edge portions on three sides, and with lrounded corners on all four corners of each cover,

metallic slide fastening means to fasten and unfasten the flexible edge portions including their corners, a book back having loose leaf binding means thereon, said back lying along adjacent parallel hinged sides of said two covers and inside the rounded corners of such sides whereby the slide fastening means may operate to bend the said flexible edge portions of the covers on three sides including the four corners of the cover.

3. In combination two flexible book covers having all corners rounded and a book back of the loose leaf binder type having operable means to fasten and unfasten sheets in a book, said covers being hinged to the back with the adjacent rounded corners extending from the ends of the back in outwardly sweeping curves to join the top and bottom edges of the covers, so that the covers have a greater dimension from top to bottom edges than the length of the back, leaving all corners of the cover free for bending movements, slide fastener means associated with all the edges and corners of the c overs to fasten them and -unfasten them from one end of the back to the other along the edges, a pocket on the inside face of each cover with its closed end adjacent the hinge line, the edges of said pockets being spaced inwardly from the side and top edges of the covers for the latter to bend out of the pocket planes andinto edge to edge relation when the slide fastener means moves to fasten all edges together apart from the back.

4. The combination in a loose leaf binder comprising a back with the usual operating mechanism, covers hinged to the back, large pockets attached to the inside faces of the covers and `ending close to the hinge lines but otherwise spaced inwardly from the side and outer edges 0f the covers to leave a substantial flexible margin between the pockets and such edges, said pockets being adapted to hold contents inside the book in addition to the mechanism on the back, and fastening means operable to bind down the free flexible marginal edges of the covers into a completely closed receptacle whenever desired, said binding means being arranged on flexible edge portions oi. the covers so the latter can be brought tightly together in edge to edge relation and held closed, even when the binder and said pockets are overloaded with papers.

5. In a loose leaf binder of the ring type, a flexible cover of single ply leather-like material of fine appearance, a flexible pocket for extra papers on the inner face oi -such cover with the bottom adjacent the hinge line, protecting means placed' inside such pocket along its bottom edge, fastening devices for securing said means solely to the inside face of the pocket material, said protecting means serving to prevent bulging of the pocket and cover where they contact with the rings of the binder.

6. In a loose leaf binder of the ring type, a flexible cover having on its inner face a pocket for extra papers with its bottom adjacent the hinge line, protecting means placed adjacent the bottom edge of said pocket and fastened solely to the pocket material apart from the cover, said means serving to prevent bulging of the lpocket and cover where they contact with the thereon, said book having a recess in which the.

finger grip may be inserted to get it out of the way when the book is locked.

8. A loose leaf book having side covers and a sheet retaining device, fastener means attached along the free edges of the covers including a sliding member for locking and unlocking said fastener and means for concealing the major portion of said sliding member within the body of the book when the fastener is in a locked position.

9. In a loose-leaf binder for fillings composed of superposed layers of material having free outer edges, a pair of covers having resilient exible marginal portions, a binder frame hav- 

